Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., left the Rocket Chassis house car team on Thursday, shockingly ending his wildly successful run of just of over one season with the powerhouse Shinnston, W.Va.-based operation co-owned by Mark Richards and Steve Baker.

“Without divulging any details, I have decided to part ways with Mark Richards Racing Inc. and Rocket1 Racing,” O’Neal said his press release from Delph Communications that officially shared the news late Thursday night. “As hard of a decision as it was for me to make, I believe this was the best decision for myself.  With everything I was able to accomplish within the last year or so with Rocket1, there is no possible way for me not to be thankful for Steve, Sherre, Mark, Danny, Austin, Joel, and everyone back at Rocket Chassis for everything they have done for me. Thank you for your dedication.”

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Richards, meanwhile, has declined to comment on O’Neal’s departure and his plans for the Rocket1 team. It is believed he’s actively considering a replacement driver.

“As for my future plans, I really don’t have any at this point in time,” O’Neal added in the release.  “I am certain I will be back on the track again soon, but no concrete plans are in place moving forward. I also can’t thank all of my loyal fans enough for the continued support. Next weekend at Brownstown Speedway during the Indiana Icebreaker, I will be doing something huge to give back to all involved. We will keep everyone updated on any future racing plans on social media and our website.”

The 23-year-old O’Neal joined the Rocket1 team as Brandon Sheppard’s replacement late in the 2022 season and went on to enjoy the best season of his young career last year. He won the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship and World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, among other achievements, and topped the $1 million mark in earnings for 2023.

O’Neal appeared to be picking up this year right where he left off, recording four victories during Georgia-Florida Speedweeks and ending the season-opening stretch of action ranked second in the Lucas Oil Series standings, just five points behind leader Ricky Thornton Jr. But following two idle weekends for the team, he informed Richards late Tuesday that he had decided to depart effective immediately.

O’Neal’s 2023 performance record with Rocket1 boasted 15 wins among 58 top-five and 74 top-10 finishes in 92 starts. His one month of ’24 racing with the team produced 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in 20 races.